Element

Element is the most general base class from which all objects in a Document inherit. It only has methods and properties common to all kinds of elements. More specific classes inherit from Element. For example, the HTMLElement interface is the base interface for HTML elements, while the SVGElement interface is the basis for all SVG elements. Most functionality is specified further down the class hierarchy.

Languages outside the realm of the Web platform, like XUL through the XULElement interface, also implement Element.

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Properties

Inherits properties from its parent interface, Node, and by extension that interface's parent, EventTarget. It implements the properties of ParentNode, ChildNode, NonDocumentTypeChildNode, and Animatable.

Element.attributes Read only

Returns a NamedNodeMap object containing the assigned attributes of the corresponding HTML element.

Element.classList Read only

Returns a DOMTokenList containing the list of class attributes.

Element.className

Is a DOMString representing the class of the element.

Element.clientHeight Read only

Returns a Number representing the inner height of the element.

Element.clientLeft Read only

Returns a Number representing the width of the left border of the element.

Element.clientTop  Read only

Returns a Number representing the width of the top border of the element.

Element.clientWidth Read only

Returns a Number representing the inner width of the element.

Element.computedName Read only

Returns a DOMString containing the label exposed to accessibility.

Element.computedRole Read only

Returns a DOMString containing the ARIA role that has been applied to a particular element. 

Element.id

Is a DOMString representing the id of the element.

Element.innerHTML

Is a DOMString representing the markup of the element's content.

Element.localName Read only

A DOMString representing the local part of the qualified name of the element.

Element.namespaceURI Read only

The namespace URI of the element, or null if it is no namespace.

Note: In Firefox 3.5 and earlier, HTML elements are in no namespace. In later versions, HTML elements are in the http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml namespace in both HTML and XML trees.

NonDocumentTypeChildNode.nextElementSibling Read only

Is an Element, the element immediately following the given one in the tree, or null if there's no sibling node.

Element.outerHTML

Is a DOMString representing the markup of the element including its content. When used as a setter, replaces the element with nodes parsed from the given string.

Element.prefix Read only

A DOMString representing the namespace prefix of the element, or null if no prefix is specified.

NonDocumentTypeChildNode.previousElementSibling Read only

Is a Element, the element immediately preceding the given one in the tree, or null if there is no sibling element.

Element.scrollHeight  Read only

Returns a Number representing the scroll view height of an element.

Element.scrollLeft

Is a Number representing the left scroll offset of the element.

Element.scrollLeftMax Read only

Returns a Number representing the maximum left scroll offset possible for the element.

Element.scrollTop

A Number representing number of pixels the top of the document is scrolled vertically.

Element.scrollTopMax Read only

Returns a Number representing the maximum top scroll offset possible for the element.

Element.scrollWidth Read only

Returns a Number representing the scroll view width of the element.

Element.shadowRootRead only

Returns the open shadow root that is hosted by the element, or null if no open shadow root is present.

Element.openOrClosedShadowRoot Read only

Returns the shadow root that is hosted by the element, regardless if its open or closed. Available only to WebExtensions.

Element.slot

Returns the name of the shadow DOM slot the element is inserted in.

Element.tabStop

Is a Boolean indicating if the element can receive input focus via the tab key.

Element.tagName Read only

Returns a String with the name of the tag for the given element.

Element.undoManager Read only

Returns the UndoManager associated with the element.

Element.undoScope

Is a Boolean indicating if the element is an undo scope host, or not.

Properties included from Slotable

The Element interface includes the following property, defined on the Slotable mixin.

Slotable.assignedSlotRead only

Returns a HTMLSlotElement representing the <slot> the node is inserted in.

Event handlers

Element.onfullscreenchange

An event handler for the fullscreenchange event, which is sent when the element enters or exits full-screen mode. This can be used to watch both for successful expected transitions, but also to watch for unexpected changes, such as when your app is backgrounded.

Element.onfullscreenerror

An event handler for the fullscreenerror event, which is sent when an error occurs while attempting to change into full-screen mode.

Obsolete event handlers

Element.onwheel

Returns the event handling code for the wheel event. This is now implemented on GlobalEventHandlers.

Methods

Inherits methods from its parents Node, and its own parent, EventTarget, and implements those of ParentNode, ChildNode, NonDocumentTypeChildNode, and Animatable.

EventTarget.addEventListener()

Registers an event handler to a specific event type on the element.

Element.attachShadow()

Attatches a shadow DOM tree to the specified element and returns a reference to its ShadowRoot.

Element.animate()

A shortcut method to create and run an animation on an element. Returns the created Animation object instance.

Element.closest()

Returns the Element which is the closest ancestor of the current element (or the current element itself) which matches the selectors given in parameter.

Element.createShadowRoot()  

Creates a shadow DOM on on the element, turning it into a shadow host. Returns a ShadowRoot.

Element.computedStyleMap()

Returns a StylePropertyMapReadOnly interface which provides a read-only representation of a CSS declaration block that is an alternative to CSSStyleDeclaration.

EventTarget.dispatchEvent()

Dispatches an event to this node in the DOM and returns a Boolean that indicates whether no handler canceled the event.

Element.getAnimations()

Returns an array of Animation objects currently active on the element.

Element.getAttribute()

Retrieves the value of the named attribute from the current node and returns it as an Object.

Element.getAttributeNames()

Returns an array of attribute names from the current element.

Element.getAttributeNS()

Retrieves the value of the attribute with the specified name and namespace, from the current node and returns it as an Object.

Element.getAttributeNode()

Retrieves the node representation of the named attribute from the current node and returns it as an Attr.

Element.getAttributeNodeNS()

Retrieves the node representation of the attribute with the specified name and namespace, from the current node and returns it as an Attr.

Element.getBoundingClientRect()

Returns the size of an element and its position relative to the viewport.

Element.getClientRects()

Returns a collection of rectangles that indicate the bounding rectangles for each line of text in a client.

Element.getElementsByClassName()

Returns a live HTMLCollection that contains all descendants of the current element that possess the list of classes given in the parameter.

Element.getElementsByTagName()

Returns a live HTMLCollection containing all descendant elements, of a particular tag name, from the current element.

Element.getElementsByTagNameNS()

Returns a live HTMLCollection containing all descendant elements, of a particular tag name and namespace, from the current element.

Element.hasAttribute()

Returns a Boolean indicating if the element has the specified attribute or not.

Element.hasAttributeNS()

Returns a Boolean indicating if the element has the specified attribute, in the specified namespace, or not.

Element.hasAttributes()

Returns a Boolean indicating if the element has one or more HTML attributes present.

Element.hasPointerCapture()

Indicates whether the element on which it is invoked has pointer capture for the pointer identified by the given pointer ID.

Element.insertAdjacentElement()

Inserts a given element node at a given position relative to the element it is invoked upon.

Element.insertAdjacentHTML()

Parses the text as HTML or XML and inserts the resulting nodes into the tree in the position given.

Element.insertAdjacentText()

Inserts a given text node at a given position relative to the element it is invoked upon.

Element.matches()

Returns a Boolean indicating whether or not the element would be selected by the specified selector string.

Element.querySelector()

Returns the first Node which matches the specified selector string relative to the element.

Element.querySelectorAll()

Returns a NodeList of nodes which match the specified selector string relative to the element.

Element.releasePointerCapture()

Releases (stops) pointer capture that was previously set for a specific pointer event.

ChildNode.remove()

Removes the element from the children list of its parent.

Element.removeAttribute()

Removes the named attribute from the current node.

Element.removeAttributeNS()

Removes the attribute with the specified name and namespace, from the current node.

Element.removeAttributeNode()

Removes the node representation of the named attribute from the current node.

EventTarget.removeEventListener()

Removes an event listener from the element.

Element.requestFullscreen()

Asynchronously asks the browser to make the element full-screen.

Element.requestPointerLock()

Allows to asynchronously ask for the pointer to be locked on the given element.

Element.scroll()

Scrolls to a particular set of coordinates inside a given element.

Element.scrollBy()

Scrolls an element by the given amount.

Element.scrollIntoView() 

Scrolls the page until the element gets into the view.

Element.scrollTo()

Scrolls to a particular set of coordinates inside a given element.

Element.setAttribute()

Sets the value of a named attribute of the current node.

Element.setAttributeNS()

Sets the value of the attribute with the specified name and namespace, from the current node.

Element.setAttributeNode()

Sets the node representation of the named attribute from the current node.

Element.setAttributeNodeNS()

Sets the node representation of the attribute with the specified name and namespace, from the current node.

Element.setCapture()

Sets up mouse event capture, redirecting all mouse events to this element.

Element.setPointerCapture()

Designates a specific element as the capture target of future pointer events.

Element.toggleAttribute()

Toggles a boolean attribute, removing it if it is present and adding it if it is not present, on the specified element.

Events

Listen to these events using addEventListener() or by assigning an event listener to the oneventname property of this interface.

Clipboard events

copy

Fired when the user initiates a copy action through the browser's user interface.
Also available via the oncopy property.

cut

Fired when the user initiates a cut action through the browser's user interface.
Also available via the oncut property.

paste

Fired when the user initiates a paste action through the browser's user interface.
Also available via the onpaste property.

Composition events

compositionend

Fired when a text composition system such as an input method editor completes or cancels the current composition session.

compositionstart

Fired when a text composition system such as an input method editor starts a new composition session.

compositionupdate

Fired when a new character is received in the context of a text composition session controlled by a text composition system such as an input method editor.

Focus events

blur

Fired when an element has lost focus.
Also available via the onblur property.

focus

Fired when an element has gained focus.
Also available via the onfocus property

focusin

Fired when an element is about to gain focus.

focusout

Fired when an element is about to lose focus.

Fullscreen events

fullscreenchange

Sent to a Document or Element when it transitions into or out of full-screen mode.

fullscreenerror

Sent to a Document or Element if an error occurs while attempting to switch it into or out of full-screen mode.

Mouse events

Activate

Occurs when an element is activated, for instance, through a mouse click or a keypress.
Also available via the onactivate property.

auxclick

Fired when a non-primary pointing device button (e.g., any mouse button other than the left button) has been pressed and released on an element.
Also available via the onauxclick property.

click

Fired when a pointing device button (e.g., a mouse's primary button) is pressed and released on a single element.
Also available via the onclick property.

contextmenu

Fired when the user attempts to open a context menu.
Also available via the oncontextmenu property.

dblclick

Fired when a pointing device button (e.g., a mouse's primary button) is clicked twice on a single element.
Also available via the ondblclick property.

mousedown

Fired when a pointing device button is pressed on an element.
Also available via the onmousedown property.

mouseenter

Fired when a pointing device (usually a mouse) is moved over the element that has the listener attached.
Also available via the onmouseenter property.

mouseleave

Fired when the pointer of a pointing device (usually a mouse) is moved out of an element that has the listener attached to it.
Also available via the onmouseleave property.

mousemove

Fired when a pointing device (usually a mouse) is moved while over an element.
Also available via the onmousemove property.

mouseout

Fired when a pointing device (usually a mouse) is moved off the element to which the listener is attached or off one of its children.
Also available via the onmouseout property.

mouseover

Fired when a pointing device is moved onto the element to which the listener is attached or onto one of its children.
Also available via the onmouseover property.

mouseup

Fired when a pointing device button is released on an element.
Also available via the onmouseup property.

webkitmouseforcechanged

Fired each time the amount of pressure changes on the trackpadtouchscreen.

webkitmouseforcedown

Fired after the mousedown event as soon as sufficient pressure has been applied to qualify as a "force click".

webkitmouseforcewillbegin

Fired before the mousedown event.

webkitmouseforceup

Fired after the webkitmouseforcedown event as soon as the pressure has been reduced sufficiently to end the "force click".

Touch events

touchcancel

Fired when one or more touch points have been disrupted in an implementation-specific manner (for example, too many touch points are created).
Also available via the ontouchcancel property.

touchend

Fired when one or more touch points are removed from the touch surface.
Also available via the ontouchend property

touchmove

Fired when one or more touch points are moved along the touch surface.
Also available via the ontouchmove property

touchstart

Fired when one or more touch points are placed on the touch surface.
Also available via the ontouchstart property

Specifications

Browser compatibility